Punjab police busts ISI spy network

Chandigarh, March 18 (IANS) The Punjab police Wednesday claimed that it had busted a spy network in the state being run by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Four alleged spies, all residents of different villages in Punjab’s Faridkot district, were arrested by the police following raids at various places, a police spokesman said here.

Those arrested are Naib Singh, Baldev Singh, Sukhdev Singh and Randhir Singh. Naib Singh and Baldev Singh have a background in terrorism and had Terrorists and Disruptive Activities (TADA) cases against them.

All four were engaged by the ISI for espionage activities in Punjab and other places, the police said. The raids were conducted by the special narcotics cell of Amritsar and counter intelligence units of Jalandhar, Ferozepur and Patiala districts.

The spokesman said that sensitive documents relating to important military installations, photographs, charts, movements of military units, diaries containing telephone numbers in Pakistan, mobile phones and fake currency worth Rs.20,000 were recovered from the arrested people.

They have been booked under the Official Secrets Act and other provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Police officials said that preliminary investigation of the four had revealed a well-organised network which was directly controlled by the ISI from Pakistan.

Police investigations revealed that Naib Singh visited Pakistan during 2007-08 while Sukhdev Singh went twice as part of religious jathas (groups) where they were approached and cultivated by ISI officials.

After coming back to India, these people were in regular touch with Pakistan-based intelligence officers through mobile telephones and the Internet. They were being provided funds routed through Dubai by money transfers.

Punjab had faced terrorism between 1981 and 1995 with groups being supported by Pakistani agencies.